* * *
What Michelle had just learned from Zelda....Er, the spirit Zelda...was quite surprising to her. The reason Rynita seemed so different was because the spirit Link had lent her his power. She knew Rynita was fairy strong for her age, and that the power of the Hero of Time would obviously have made her even stronger. She realized at this point what the Sages must have felt like the first time Link fought Ganon; helpless. Or was it hopeless? She really didn't think she had done very much for their cause...yet, anyway. But as she looked back at Rynita after making sure everyone else was okay, she noticed something that almost made her want to laugh.
"Rynita's basically beating the crap outta Ganondorf," she said bluntly.
Everyone else simply nodded.
At this point it seemed almost ridiculous to assume that Rynita could do anything but win the fight. Aholya wondered if the supposed Creature was simply that weak, or if the combined power of Rynita and the Hero of Time was simply that strong. In any case, all of the girls knew that this was only part of the struggle. They still had Ilisya to worry about.
An odd tickling sensation burned at Michelle's mind for a moment, and when she turned around to see what was behind her, the black haired girl was standing there.
"You could take it now if you're brave enough." She looked pointedly at Katrina. "Or is that her element?" she asked teasingly.
"Leave them alone," Michelle said threateningly, eyes narrowing. She knew that she was kind of dead in a way, and did not want the sorceress messing up anything more in the chaos that Hyrule had become. It seemed odd at first when she accepted the notion, but now she was actually willing to give up her life for the sake of her Cousins, Sister and the rest of Hyrule.
"You can't save them," the girl pressed. "They can't even see me now; it's one of the perks of being a magic being that I can perform this kind of illusion. You know, I could simply throw away your soul like I did with that pathetic girl," said the dark haired girl who Michelle suddenly remembered was not truly Ilisya. "You could attempt to save yourself. I have two Triforce pieces on my side; what can you do?"
Michelle turned away from the girl. She didn't want to listen to her seemingly random babbling that was getting less specific as she spoke. She didn't care if the being of Chaos was insane, which she was, and wanted the Triforce. All she cared about was putting Hyrule back in proper order. And she needed the Triforce for that.
"Zelda," she said suddenly.
"Hm?" the spirit replied.
"Did that spell you used to find the Triforce bring you to them?"
"It was supposed to, yes...Why...?"
"Never mind. Do you think it could be used for something that once held the Triforces?"
The Princess seemed to consider that for a moment. "The Triforce leaves a kind of imprint on anything it touches, so....yes, I think."
"Can we use it now?"
* * *
She'd never known what happened to a soul when it departed its body. Now that she did know, the knowledge was too much for her. The inky darkness that pressed in on her from every angle and into every fiber of her being was overwhelming. Occasionally she'd see a flash of light, or something that resembled a comet, but she didn't care to learn much about this place. She tried to draw her consciousness into a single point and focus on anything but the place she was sure she'd spent the rest of eternity.
She knew that what she'd done hadn't been right. It wasn't fair to use so many simply to fulfill her need for revenge by helping the Creature. Part of her, the small part that was human, understood. But the other part, the overwhelmingly evil (Whether or not it admitted it was) part, Chaos always won the arguments. And now Chaos, her supposed creator, was using her body like a pawn to destroy what little good the Goddesses had created in the universe.
She'd never realized until this moment that she was so bitter towards everything. It didn't matter what it was; Chaos, the Goddesses, their daughters, herself, even. She was against it all, and it against her. And now she got what some would probably consider just rewards. Damned to spend the rest of Time and beyond it locked in this beyond dark prison.
*Ilisya*
That had come unbidden out of nothing. She heard the sound. That was probably the thing that startled her the most, because the only sense she'd had for a while now had been sight. She was numb to all else until she heard that forgiving noise. It took her a moment to realize that the noise expected an answer, but it took her even longer to realize that the sound made had been her own name. When it called again, she latched onto it and used everything she had left of herself to answer.
Here.
It was her own voice, and that word was the only response she could think of to the savior that was the noise. It startled her for a moment that she sounded so weak, but for the most part she didn't care.
*It would be like you gave up if you stayed here.*
I know.
*Why do you?*
Because I can't escape. This is my personal hell, payback for what I've done to everyone in the past.
She didn't like the fact that she still sounded defeated. She did want an escape, but she still wasn't about to beg. Her pride, which was ingrained into her by this point in Time, was not going to budge.
*She thinks your weak. Chaos knew she could use you, and that's why she kicked you out of your own body. But why did you allow it?*
It's not as if I didn't try. You weren't there, whoever-the-hell you are.
She liked that fact that she sounded a bit more like herself, at least stronger in thought.
*You get revenge this way....I guess. But I'd never seen you give up like this before. You wanted, you took. Why isn't it the same?*
Because I can be satisfied with the fact that the Goddesses will cease to exist one Chaos destroys everything. Even if I'm not the one that gets to do it.
*You could be.*
This person didn't know that, she thought.
*Or, you could take revenge against everything; Chaos and the Goddesses. Or....You could even simply take revenge against Chaos. Banish it like the Goddesses did. You'd still have something over them without having to destroy the Universe.
I'd be dead if the Universe was destroyed, anyway.
*That's exactly my point, you idiot.*
Then what...?
*Come back. Take the body that is yours, and banish Chaos. It's that simple. You'd be showing the Goddesses that they couldn't do something that you did. *
This was almost sounding like a pep talk. Annoying. But the voice was insistent.
*Come back.*
It's not going to work like you say it is.
*Shut up and do what you know you want to. Come back.*
With that last command, her will to resist snapped and a surge of magical energy surged through her. It felt like she was being propelled backwards through layers of Time itself. Then she did something she thought she'd never again do.
Ilisya opened her eyes.
* * *
With the energy that she had used, the very last of her supply, the spirit Zelda faded, then flickered out. The girls weren't worried about her soul at this point, though. The same thing had happened to Link when he lent his power to Rynita. When they got the Triforce back, and it was a when because there was no way they were going to let themselves loose, they would be able to put Hyrule back right.
Rynita turned from the battle long enough to see Zelda disappear. Something about it made her sad, because the Hylian princess had such an effect on everything around her that it seemed a shame for her to miss anything.
Aholya turned to the shell of Ilisya the moment Zelda had finished the spell. She didn't know if it was going to be worth it, but the moment she saw the dull eyes fill with surprise and life, she had a feeling they could pull it off.
Michelle looked at everyone in turn, lastly at Rynita who was quickly finishing Ganon off. She approached the Creature as it fell, feeling its pain and anger through the now very apparent link she had to the Triforce of Power. As such, the golden triangle quickly abandoned the brutish form of Ganon and simply hovered before the girl, halfway between her and Aholya.
Ilisya, meanwhile, turned to the second redhead.
"It was you?" she said simply.
Aholya only nodded.
With that, Ilisya could feel something inside her snap, and the force she had been using to keep the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage inside her failed. The two relics now hovered before Chrystie and Katrina.
Surprisingly to everyone, the black haired girl simply shrugged. "Guess I wasn't strong enough."
With that admitted, the separate triangles hovered together, forming the sacred Triforce. Michelle, Aholya, Chrystie, Katrina, Rynita and Ilisya watched the firework show of color as the golden shape spiraled off in the distance. They knew that it was going back to the Heart of the Universe; that was what the Goddesses had told the five girls originally.
Before anything could be said, everyone present found themselves 'floating' towards the Triforces direction. After a short warp tunnel sequence, similar to something some of them had seen before, Michelle found herself in another realm of white light. But this light seemed pure and void of all the negative energy that she had felt in the Dark Realm.
She looked around, noticing that she seemed to be in a different form that she had been moments before. Her hair was longer and a more vibrant shade of red, and her skin had a golden tint to it. She didn't need to look to see that she had red eyes. She realized this must have been her form were she a Goddess.
She saw another being approach her, moving at an unreal speed. The thing was a silver color, but had tints of gold as well.
*Destiny* she said without having to ask.
You've returned the Relic, stopped the Paradox. Hyrule will be safe, now that the Forces are again balanced. It replied in a voice that sounded like a combination of water and air.
*I'm glad.* She smiled as well as she could.
Worried about your own future, though. You can't hide anything here.
*I'm concerned about what will happen to everyone else. I'm dead, so I can't really think about what happens to me. And Ilisya-*
I can give her another chance. Chaos was expelled from her form when she returned to it, and went back to its presence in everything. As for you, since you were not technically dead, I can send you back to Earth. The others, too...Because of the rift in Time you created, this can be the beginning of everything. Hyrule will be sent back to normal on all Time levels, but the four of you will never have been born.
*Four...?*
Rynita was a part of Hyrule from the beginning. Her soul was meant to be here; the rest of you were planted on a planet that simply chose to accept you.
*I'm confused.* she said simply, knowing there was no way to hid it.
Rynita will still be born in Hyrule. I will send you and the rest of the Goddess's daughters back to Earth, because the Paradox hadn't yet touched it. Ilisya, also...I feel her spirit was cheated out of a life she never really had. She served Ganon and Chaos, evil consumed her mind. In the end that was what saved her; her inability to resist. You've set things right, so you do not have to worry now. Your roles as deities will continue when you pass from that plane of existence, as might Ilisya's. Her soul was created by origins of the Universe, and after all...Everything is subjective to change.
*So I am going back to Earth?*
Michelle sensed the being nod.
Enjoy the life of normality. You and the others have rid the Universe of its current glitch, but peace never lasts long. You'll see me again.
With that, she was gone.
Everything was dark.
Suddenly, though, there was a blue orb, covered in white mist approaching her fast.
'I'm home,' Michelle said to herself, when everything went dark once again.
* * *
**...........................Ah. That was the second to last chapter. The next one will be.....THE LAST CHAPTER!!!!!! *jumps around* I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! It was exactly the style I wanted it, too! AND EVERYTHING CONNECTS!!! If you go through, you can see the elements I planted come back and THEMES DEVELOP!!! I'M SO PROUD OF MEEEE!!! *shuts up* Okay, sorry. I know...maybe it was a little anti-climatic, but I never said I was gonna have a full on BATTLE. ^_^ Await my next chapter, I should finish it soon!!!! ^-^
THE CHICA WHO IS ALMOST DONE WITH THIS OVER A YEAR OLD FIC,
SailorZelda